Listen To Your Heart
by NickyW
Summary: Maria is sure she isn't cut out to be a Nun. So she is happy to leave the Abbey and start a new life but will she be allowed to follow the path that she wishes to travel.
1. Chapter 1

**AN** : A totally different take on the story and I'm not all that sure how it will pan out or how successful it will be. I hope that I manage to keep Maria and Georg in character.

 **Disclaimer:** Written for pleasure not profit.

 **Rating** : K+

 **Listen to Your Heart**

 _For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul._

 _~ Judy Garland_

It was a beautiful day.

Just exactly the type of day that Maria loved. As she stepped out from the large cast iron gates of the Abbey, she pushed them shut behind her with a dull clunk. Taking a deep breath of pure Salzburg air, she clutched her bag and guitar firmly and set off towards the nearby bus stop,

Glancing behind her briefly, she let out a sigh of what could only be described as, relief. Just lately, she had found the strict rules and routines of her cloistered life to be stifling. The Reverend Mother had great plans for her and had kindly taken her under her wing, determined to make a nun of her. Whilst she would always be grateful for the sanctuary that the Reverend Mother and the Sisters had afforded her, Maria, however, had other ideas.

So, when the Mother Abbess informed Maria that she was being sent to look after the seven unruly children of a retired and widowed, naval Captain, rather than looking on the task as daunting, she in fact, clapped her hands together loudly and thanked the Lord for giving her the freedom she so longed for.

The Reverend Mother of course, had carefully chosen Maria for the job. She felt sure that after a few weeks of dealing with the undisciplined rabble of children, Maria would come scuttling back to the Abbey, having realised that life outside of its large grey walls was not as appealing as she thought and she would be begging to take her vows.

Maria placed her bags down on the ground by the bus stop and smoothed down her rather tattered and ugly dress. She hoped that when she settled in to her new place of work, she might be able to make herself some new clothes. She had never had all that many dresses anyway and she understood the need to give her worldly possessions to the poor when she had lived at the Abbey, never the less, she was a little ashamed of how she looked and she hoped that it wouldn't offend her new employer.

The journey to Aigen was a pretty one. Outside, the snow dusted mountains swept by and Maria gently rested her head against the bus window as her mind began to wander. She didn't know a great deal about Captain von Trapp. Indeed, the Reverend Mother had only imparted but the briefest of details, as she assumed that Maria would already know all about Austria's famous Naval hero. Not wishing to appear naïve, Maria just nodded and agreed.

What she did know made her feel sorry for him, having lost his wife and being left alone to look after his seven children. She imagined him to be old and cantankerous, with a bushy grey beard and large eyebrows. An overactive imagination had always been one of Maria's more annoying traits, according to Sister Margaretta and just as she began to daydream about the children the bus ground to an abrupt halt, as the bus driver peered round at Maria and began gesturing that this was her stop,

Grabbing her things, she hopped off the bus and thanked the driver for his directions to the von Trapp villa.

There was only a short distance for her to walk and the nearer she got the more hopeful she began to feel. One thing she had hated about being at the Abbey was the fact that she wasn't allowed to sing. So, now that she no longer needed to worry about offending Sister Berthe, she began to hum one of her favourite tunes as she made her way ever closer to her new life.

Arriving at the large imposing gates of her employer, she suddenly felt her optimism wane. Never for one minute had she expected the villa to be quite so large and opulent. Suddenly her dowdy appearance and lack of worldly possessions seemed to be of incredible significance.

She walked past the large fountain which dominated the front drive with her mouth agape and almost fell up the stairs by the huge front door. Catching her breath, she flopped backwards so that her shoulders rested against the cream stone wall. Gathering her courage, she pressed the bell, held her breath and waited patiently.

Before long, Maria could hear footsteps on the floor within. With a low creak, the door opened and inside, stood a rather beautiful, well-dressed woman. Maria was a little taken aback. She didn't expect that the Captain would open his _own_ door but she had expected a butler or at least a housekeeper, but surely this wasn't the housekeeper, she looked far too stylish for that.

"May I help you?" the elegant woman enquired.

Maria, still a little bewildered looked on with a blank expression.

"Is there something I can do for you?" she asked again.

"Oh… oh yes, I'm the new Governess. I've been sent by the Reverend Mother from Nonnberg Abbey," Maria answered with a wide smile on her face and she held out her hand towards the older woman.

"Ah… of course. I had completely forgotten that we were expecting you today. Please, why don't you come in. I'm terribly sorry that Franz isn't here to carry your bags."

"Franz?" Maria, was a little puzzled.

"He's Captain von Trapp's butler, but I'm afraid it's his day off," the woman smiled and helped Maria in with her bag and guitar.

"I'm so sorry… I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Baroness Schrader… a friend of the Captain's. I've been trying to help him out with the children since the last Governess… ehrm… left so suddenly."

"I had heard that there had been a few… _problems_ ," Maria replied, cautiously.

"Yes, that's one way to put it," Baroness Schrader barely whispered under her breath. "If you wouldn't mind just waiting here a moment while I check if the Captain is free to see you."

 _Well_ , thought Maria. Perhaps she shouldn't have felt _too sorry_ for the Captain. Her imagination began working in overdrive again and conjured up images of the Captain, although she was now beginning to doubt her earlier assumptions about his appearance, as a less than lonely individual with the Baroness Schrader as his companion.

As the woman glided away towards the other end of the hall and being left alone, Maria took the opportunity to explore her surroundings. The hall was rather magnificent with a large tiled floor and marble pillars. Several rooms seemed to lie off the main hallway and just behind her was a large sweeping staircase that meandered to the upper floors of the villa.

Most of the doors were ajar but one was closed tight and Maria's insatiable curiosity got the better of her. She tiptoed hesitantly over towards it and grasped the brass handle lightly. Twisting it slowly, the door opened easily and she squinted to see into the rather dark, dimly lit room. Walking to the centre, she soon realised that it was actually a magnificent ballroom with ornately carved, gold gilded panels and mirrors adorning the walls. The floor was sprung and covered with a beautiful mosaic of highly polished wooden tiles.

This was beyond anything that Maria could ever have imagined. She closed her eyes and she could hear the glorious sound of a small orchestra playing a beautiful waltz. All around her she felt the air begin to move as dozens upon dozens of smartly dressed couples spun and glided gracefully beside her. Still with her eyes tightly shut, not wanting the image to disappear, she curtsied extravagantly as an imaginary suitor asked for the next dance.

Elsa Schrader glanced around the hall and could see no sign of the new Governess. Her bag and guitar lay on the ground where she had left them and then she noticed the ballroom door ajar. She walked up to it quietly and pushed it further open. The young woman beyond looked beautiful, despite her poor attire, as she bowed and held out her hand. A chink of light shone through the heavy drapes that dressed the windows and fell delicately on her golden hair. She was such a breath of fresh air and not at all like any of the previous Governesses.

Stepping further into the room, a tile creaked under her shoe and betrayed the Baroness's presence.

Maria's arm flew up into the air and she dropped her hat as she was dragged from her daydream. She stared in shock towards the Baroness.

"I… I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself," Maria squirmed in embarrassment as she swiftly picked up her hat and shuffled past the older woman as she made her way back into the hall.

Elsa Schrader pulled the door shut behind them. "Think yourself lucky my dear that it wasn't the Captain that found you in there." The door shut with a soft click and Elsa looked directly at the young woman who was looking decidedly confused.

"He doesn't allow anyone to set foot in that room, let alone dance in there," she raised her eyebrows sarcastically. "More's the pity."

"Oh, but it's such a beautiful room, it should be used and enjoyed," Maria sighed, innocently.

"Yes, well. It is the Captain's wishes and perhaps you will remember that there are some rooms in his house which are not to be disturbed." The Baroness smiled and then turned again to Maria. "Now then, let's take a look at you." She gestured with a flick of her finger for Maria to turn.

"Hmm… it'll never do I'm afraid," the Baroness shook her head in dismay, "You'll have to change before you meet the Captain and his children."

Maria glanced down at her dress and shrugged, "But I don't have anything else, I gave all my worldly goods to the poor. This was the only one they didn't want!"

Elsa Schrader laughed loudly. There was something about this girl that she liked and she just hoped that Georg von Trapp felt the same way, since his children desperately needed a Governess that was prepared to take on the challenge.

"Never mind, my dear," Elsa spoke softly as she reached out to guide Maria by the arm towards the stairs. "There's plenty of time before dinner for us to find you something suitable to wear."

"Won't I be meeting the Captain _now_?" asked Maria.

"No, I'm afraid he is a little tied up with business at the moment. He looks forward to seeing you at dinner though," the Baroness picked up Maria's guitar and led her up the stairs to her new room.

"Now, I will go and see if the children are ready to meet you. They are in their study room… studying… _hopefully,_ " Elsa sighed as she left Maria to become acquainted with her new room.

After placing her bag down on the bed, Maria walked over to the window which was open slightly.

She soon discovered that her bedroom had no balcony but it overlooked a small terrace below. She pulled back the curtains and opened the window fully, leaning out to breathe in the clean, crisp air. She pulled back suddenly as she saw a figure stride out onto the terrace below her. He seemed perplexed and agitated, as he rolled up his sleeves and ran his fingers through his hair before resting his forearms heavily on the stone balustrade that circled the terrace.

Watching intently, Maria noticed that the sound of the water lapping gently against the banks of the nearby lake seemed to have a calming effect on him. He pushed himself up from the balustrade before lowering himself onto a patio chair. He crossed his legs and raised his arms above his head, stretching slowly.

Was this Franz, the butler? Surely not, even on his days off he wouldn't be allowed to lounge around on the Captain's terraces. So, it must be the Captain himself, but if that was so, he didn't look anything like she imagined. At least he didn't from behind! If only he would turn slightly, she would be able to see his face.

Before Maria could satisfy her curiosity, her bedroom door flew open and what she could only describe as a herd of wild animals tumbled raucously into her room, followed by an apologetic Baroness Schrader.

"I'm so sorry," the Baroness cried as she desperately tried to straighten the rather unruly line of children.

Maria looked at the children as they continued to ignore the embarrassed Baroness. Realising that Maria was watching them without saying a word. One by one they stopped talking and stood in an uncomfortable silence in front of the young stranger.

"There, that's better. You sounded more like a group of wild dogs than the children of a decorated Naval Captain," Maria smiled at the Baroness, who allowed herself to relax a little.

The children continued to regard her suspiciously as she extracted information from them that they really would have rather not divulged. They liked to keep their Governesses guessing about their names and ages but this one, they discovered very quickly, was quite sharp and would be difficult to catch out.

Having made their introductions, the Baroness guided the children back to their bedrooms before returning to Maria's with a dress draped over her arm, which she placed down on the bed next to Maria's bag.

"I thought that maybe this dress might be suitable for you to wear for dinner?"

Picking the beautiful pale blue dress up from the bed, Maria rubbed the delicate material between her fingers.

"It's so pretty, but I really couldn't. It's far too…"

"Nonsense," Elsa interrupted, "I think it will be perfect."

"Well, if you're sure," Maria nodded, hesitantly.

"I am," Elsa smiled warmly. "Now, I shall go back to my room and get ready myself." Elsa turned as she reached the door. "Just one more thing, please don't be late. The Captain is quite a stickler for punctuality."

As the door shut tightly, Maria wandered over to the window once more. She looked down, but the mysterious man had gone. She felt oddly disappointed but soon realised that if it _was_ the Captain that had walked onto the terrace below her, she would soon get the opportunity to meet him at dinner.

She yawned widely. It had been a long day and the nearby single bed looked so inviting. Surely she could be forgiven for having a quick nap before dinner? She put her bags and the dress to one side before climbing onto the incredibly soft bed. It didn't take long before she had drifted off into an unfortunately deep sleep.

xXx

 _ **So, I hope that this doesn't seem too way out! Please let me know what you think. I really do appreciate each and every review that I get. Thank you**_


	2. Chapter 2

AN, Disclaimer & Rating as per first chapter.

 **Chapter 2**

It was much darker than it should have been.

She'd only planned to have a quick nap before dinner but as Maria opened her eyes and squinted across at the window, she realised that at least a couple of hours must have passed since she lay down on the all too comfortable bed.

She sat bolt upright and grabbed her head in despair.

" _Just one more thing, please don't be late. The Captain is quite a stickler for punctuality."_

The Baroness's last words seemed to taunt her as she hastily jumped off the bed and reached for the pretty blue dress. After dressing quickly and running a brush through her messed up hair, she took a glance at herself in the mirror before dashing out of the bedroom and down the stairs at break neck speed.

The chatter of children's voices could be heard as Maria slid noisily across the shiny hall floor towards the Dining Room. Grabbing the door frame, she just managed to avoid making a complete and utter fool of herself by sliding straight through the door.

Suddenly… silence, as seven sets of eyes snapped in her direction and the children sat with mouths agape at the rather dramatic entrance their new Governess had made.

Slowly and deliberately, Maria straightened her dress, composed herself and began to walk into the room. She came to a halt as she saw a rather eccentric looking man with a thin, oily moustache grin at her from the far end of the table. Surprisingly, Maria's heart sank as she realised that this must be Captain von Trapp. From the back, as she'd looked down upon him from her window, he had looked rather intriguing, almost attractive, if anyone could actually look attractive from behind! But from the front… well, whilst he looked pleasant enough, he was certainly no oil painting. However, on a positive note, she thought, at least he didn't look too annoyed with her. He gestured for her to sit beside him and so, feeling a little more relaxed, Maria walked as calmly as she could to the far end of the table.

Just as she turned and sat down, she looked up and spotted yet another man, staring at her intently, from what Maria now realised, was the head of the table. She had made yet another incorrect assumption as it was blatantly obvious to her now that the disgruntled looking man who sat across from her was the actual, Captain von Trapp.

"Good _evening,_ " he growled, in a deep velvety, baritone voice. His stare was quite off-putting and Maria could feel her cheeks begin to burn.

"Errr… good…good evening," Maria replied hesitantly, looking for support towards Baroness Schrader, who could only smile awkwardly.

"You must be my children's new Governess." The intense stare continued. "Elsa has told ne all about you."

Maria laughed nervously, glancing around the table at the seven pairs of eyes which were still fixed on her, "All good things I hope?"

"That remains to be seen." The Captain picked up his knife and fork and continued eating.

Had Maria felt a little less conspicuous, she would have reminded the Captain that they should thank the Lord for their meal, but as she was already in more trouble than she cared to think about, for once she bit her tongue and picked up her knife and fork.

"As our rather rude host has neglected to introduce me, I shall do it myself," the man with the thin moustache suddenly spoke. "I am Maximillian Dettweiler, you may have heard of me, I'm quite renowned in Salzburg."

"Don't you mean notorious," Captain von Trapp snorted, without raising his head.

Maria looked between the two men and noticed that the Captain appeared to be quite pleased with himself for his sarcastic observation. Herr Dettweiler on the other hand was looking far from impressed.

"I'm afraid we are quite isolated in the Abbey, we don't know a great deal about what goes on in the outside world. In fact…" Maria glanced up to see that the Captain was still eating his dinner. "… _I didn't even_ know who the Captain was when the Reverend Mother told me about the job. I imagined him to be old and craggy with a big bushy beard and wooden leg."

The children began to laugh and Captain von Trapp dropped his knife and fork and looked up at the far too outspoken young woman who was sitting at his dinner table.

"I even thought that he might have one of those silly sailor's whistles... what are they called?" Maria was stopped abruptly by a sharp dig to her shin. As she rubbed her leg she saw the Baroness shaking her head at her.

The Captain practically choked on the morsel of food that he had in his mouth and after dabbing his lips with his napkin he looked directly at Maria.

"It's _called_ … a Bosun's whistle," he explained in a calm and controlled voice, which was far from how he was feeling inside.

~X~

When Elsa had disturbed him in the late afternoon, to tell him that the new Governess had arrived he could hardly drag himself from his desk to acknowledge her. What was the point in making any sort of effort to greet his new employee as she was hardly likely to last the day, that was, if his previous Governesses track records were anything to go by. It had been Elsa who had persuaded him to try just one more, before considering alternative ways of bringing up his children. In fact, it had been Elsa herself who had contacted the Abbey and had spoken to the Reverend Mother.

Captain von Trapp was thankful for Elsa's concern but he was beginning to find her presence suffocating. She hardly ever let him out of her sight for fear - _he knew_ \- that he might do something stupid, such was the weight of the depression that he seemed unable to drag himself out from under. For the last few years, life had hardly been worth the effort to him. He had been told that with time things would improve, he had listened to those who had his best interests at heart; "time is a great healer", "life must go on", "it will get easier", "you have to go on for the children,"

But none of them truly understood his grief.

When his wife had died, she had taken with her his heart, his soul and his whole reason for living. He knew that he should have been coping better for his children's sake, but that just made his sense of worthlessness all the more crippling. They would be better off without him, he could never _be_ what they truly needed… their mother.

Sitting as patiently as he could at the Dinner table, he'd checked his watch, she was ten minutes late and he was not willing to wait any longer. He had gestured for his family to begin their evening meal and had resigned himself to the fact that the Governess had already fled for her life without even meeting him. However, the screech of shoes across his highly-polished hall floor betrayed the late arrival of the errant Governess.

He could tell that she hadn't noticed him when she entered the room. In fact, it was much to his amusement that she had obviously thought that his friend Max, was the master of the house.

Glancing across at her as she stepped into the room his first observations were that she was younger than he had expected. Elsa had described her to him earlier in the day but she had said nothing about her age. She was slim and wore a flimsy blue dress that he was sure he recognised. Quite a contrast to the usual ugly rags that previous postulants had worn. Her arms were smooth and flawless and her hands were dainty and petite. He wasn't exactly sure why he was taking such an interest in her. Maybe because she was nothing like any of his previous Governesses on first inspection. As she took her place next to Max. he continued to watch her as she delicately gathered her skirt before sitting almost across from him.

It was then that he was struck by how pretty she was. Her short golden hair framed her delicate features perfectly and the sea blue dress made her eyes shine so brightly. She was indeed much younger than he had expected, perhaps in her early twenties. In fact, he must be twice her age, he thought, although why that was of any importance was a mystery to him and he wasn't sure why the assumption had so readily popped into his mind.

It would have been impolite, even for him if he hadn't greeted her and after doing so he was not going to let his evening meal get any colder than it already was. However, hearing her preposterously inaccurate description of him, interrupted his meal once again and caused him to drop his cutlery, the mention of whistles was the final straw and almost made him choke.

~x~

The Captain reached into his inside pocket and slowly pulled out a small, shiny silver object.

" _This_ , in fact, is a Bosun's whistle."

Maria could feel the colour begin to drain from her cheeks as she watched in horror as he brought the whistle to his lips and blew, forcefully. Sometimes she _really_ wished that she didn't always blurt out the first thing that came into her head. It had got her into trouble on far too many occasions.

"Georg, really… was there any need for that," Elsa Schrader rolled up her napkin and placed it down on the table in front of her. She was tiring of his increasingly erratic behaviour and making such a noise at the dinner table was inexcusable.

He merely raised his eyebrows at her and returned the whistle to his inside pocket.

Maria sat, hardly daring to breathe, her eyes were wide and a raging heat had begun to burn up her neck and to her cheeks. She had never felt so embarrassed or humiliated.

"Please, my dear, just ignore his rude behaviour, I really don't know _what_ has come over him." Elsa Schrader reached out and squeezed Maria's hand.

Even Max Detweiller seemed speechless, which, for such a self-opinionated man was quite an achievement.

Georg von Trapp's shoulders slumped in defeat as seemingly every pair of eyes around the table focussed on him disapprovingly.

"Forgive me," he sighed. "It was indeed very rude of me. I will show you the whistle properly later and you can get used to using one of your own," the Captain smiled, seeing how uncomfortable Maria was and knowing that he had over-stepped the mark.

"I beg your pardon. _Use_ one of my own," Maria screwed up her face in confusion and then pain as she felt the sharp dig in her shins once again as Elsa kicked out to try and stop her.

"Shall we finish dinner… _please_ ," begged Elsa Schrader, as she looked pleadingly over to Max for some support.

The remainder of the evening meal passed without any further problems. The children seemed comfortable with their new Governess and Georg von Trapp watched silently as his eldest daughter seemed to strike up quite a conversation with the Fraulein. That was, until Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper, delivered a telegram to the Captain and Liesl, the eldest daughter, asked if she could leave the table.

After pouring Max and himself a drink, the Captain excused them from the room but turned to Maria before they left.

"Fraulein, I would be grateful if you would meet me in my study at nine, after the children are settled and we can discuss the details of your employment." Maria could tell that it was an order rather than a request,

"Err, yes, of course, Sir, err, Captain von…" Maria shrugged. I'm not exactly sure what I should call you."

"You may call me… _Captain_ ," he smiled ever so fleetingly, but just enough for Maria to see the sparkle in his eye. She returned his smile and after the briefest of moments he turned and left the room.

"His bark is worse than his bite, I promise you my dear," Max called over his shoulder, before scuttling after his friend.

"You actually got off very lightly. Usually he would have torn a strip off one of his employees if they were late. I think he likes you," Elsa grinned and she could see the young woman's cheeks blush again.

"In that case, I wouldn't like to see him when he's really angry," Maria shuddered and the two women looked at each other before laughing quietly.

Elsa instructed the rest of the children to go to their rooms and prepare for bed, which they did without too much resistance. Maria even got a hug off the two youngest children who ran excitedly after their older brothers and sisters.

"Come, my dear. I'll give you a guided tour." Elsa Schrader linked arms with Maria and led her from the Dining Room towards the far end of the grand hallway. They passed by the Captain's study and Maria found herself glancing in, to where she could see the Captain sitting at his desk, his friend resting against it nursing his glass in his hands.

Now, she just had the small problem of settling the children down before she herself could enter the inner sanctuary of the rather intriguing Captain.

~X~


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Maria had found their tour of the villa very interesting but she noticed with some interest that Elsa did _not_ take her back into the ballroom that she had stumbled upon earlier. It was the one room that fascinated her the most, probably because of her love of music and her overwhelming feeling of sadness, that it lay closed and unused.

Back in her own room, it had taken a matter of mere minutes for Maria to unpack her meagre belongings. As she placed them in the wardrobe she noticed that a few more dresses had been hung there for her, no doubt at the request of the Baroness.

It had been such a tiring day, that she wanted nothing more than to get ready for bed in her nightdress and robe but knowing that she would have to go down to see the Captain after she had settled the children, she decided it was probably wise to remain in the blue dress that she had worn for dinner, even though she was starting to feel a little cold.

Just as Maria finished her unpacking and was about to go to the children, she heard a light tap at the door.

Opening it carefully, Maria was surprised to see the Baroness standing in the corridor beyond.

"I hope you don't mind me disturbing you, I just thought I would see if there was anything else that you needed?" Elsa smiled, kindly.

"Oh no, really. The room is beautiful and the dresses…" Maria gestured over to the wardrobe, "they are lovely thank you. It's so kind of you to make me feel so welcome."

Maria opened the door fully and Elsa walked into the room and turned, her expression now quite serious.

"Well, I have my reasons for needing your appointment as Governess to be a success," she began to explain. "I don't know how much the Reverend Mother told you about the Captain?"

"Very little really, erm, I know that he lost his wife… of course," Maria shrugged to show that, that was in fact the extent of her knowledge.

"So, you have quite a lot to learn," Elsa sat on Maria's bed and patted the quilt for her to sit next to her.

"Georg is extremely important to me and I care for him very deeply, as does Max. We have both been _very_ worried about him lately and have been trying to spend as much time with him as we can. He is a stubbornly proud man and I know that he is becoming weary of us fussing over him. One of his biggest problems are the children. Since his wife died he has pushed them away. He doesn't know how to deal with his grief and their presence is a torment to him."

"But they are his _children_ , they should be a source of comfort, not torture," Maria interrupted.

"Yes, my dear, but he feels as if he is failing them and if there is one thing that Georg hates the most, it's failure. He has unreasonably high expectations for both himself and his children and neither he nor they are able to live up to these expectations. He is a man in turmoil and I do not want him to turn them against him, they are the only ones who can truly help him grieve."

"Well, yes… but I don't really see where _I_ fit in," Maria was a little confused and frankly quite surprised that this relative stranger was unburdening her worries on someone she hardly knew.

"As you are probably aware. You are one of a long line of Governesses that the Captain has employed to look after his children. You are also possibly the youngest candidate, however, when I first met you earlier today, I was struck by how confident you are. You're different. The others were firm, some a little too firm and they didn't get along with either the children _or_ the Captain."

"But surely, it can't have been _all_ of their faults that they had to leave?" Maria looked puzzled.

Elsa Schrader pushed herself up from the bed and walked to the window so that she could look out over the lake.

"No… you're right, some of them were treated quite appallingly by the children and Georg is not always the perfect gentleman. But when it came to it, they were not cut out for the job. You, on the other hand, I feel have made a promising start." Elsa turned and rested her hand on Maria's bedside table.

"I'm not all that sure about that. I wish I hadn't fallen asleep and been so late for dinner. I could see that the Captain wasn't happy with me."

"No, my dear, but he didn't bite your head off either… that's progress… for him!"

Maria smiled, happy that at least with the Baroness she had made a good impression.

"I noticed that the children were very… smartly dressed earlier and then again at dinner. Do they have any play clothes? I thought I might ask the Captain when I meet him later if I could have some material to make some."

"I don't think that's a very good idea, Maria. The von Trapp children march, they don't play. Discipline is extremely important to Georg."

"I can understand that but so is play. Children learn from exploring and getting dirty. They will miss out on so much if all they ever do is study and march. Surely you don't agree with _that_?" Maria looked aghast.

"Maybe not, but ever since the captain lost his wife, he runs this house as if he's still on one of his ships. Whistles, orders. No more music, no more laughing. As I said before, nothing that reminds him of her. Even the children," came Elsa's sad reply.

"But that's so wrong…"

"Yes, my dear but as you'll find out, the Captain is a very formidable man and he is struggling to contain order in his life. He will not be easily dissuaded that his way is not the best."

Maria stood and reached for a shawl that she had laid out on the chair and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Georg _has_ to see that he needs his children as much as they need him. I shouldn't be saying this to you. I don't know you that well. But if you ask me, the captain's thinking seriously about sending his children to boarding school once the summer is over. So you see, it is extremely important that you help him and his children. I think you are their final hope. If he does send the children away, then he may find that there really is no point in living."

Maria stood silently as the weight of the Baronesses words slowly sunk in. Thinking out loud, Maria whispered. "But he seems so… so in control, arrogantly almost."

"All a façade. He has become an expert at hiding behind his insufferably, aristocratic mask. When he is on his own, he is a shadow of the man that you see and the man that he once was. He is lost. He is consumed by the loss of his wife. When he and Agathe were together, he was so different to the man he is today. They loved each other with such a passion. I'm not too proud to say that I envied their relationship. Nothing could ever come between them and their children were their whole life. He is a broken man and I am yet to find anyone who can pick up the pieces."

"Surely you can't place this responsibility on me though," Maria was beginning to grow a little concerned at the _Baronesses_ expectations.

"No, of course not. But I needed you to understand that he is not a bad man, quite the contrary, he is the bravest, most honourable man I have ever known and to see him slowly destroying himself is almost too much to bear."

Maria nodded her head in silent understanding.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is, that I'm looking for an ally, someone who can help me to help him. It will have to be done one step at a time but if he can come to know his children once again, then he will have overcome a huge hurdle."

The Baroness looked down as tears began to form and sting her eyes. Maria took a step forward, feeling the instinctive urge to console the older woman but just as she did so, Elsa raised her head again and smiled.

"I will do my best, Baroness. I can see how much the Captain means to you. He's lucky to have you," Maria felt her chest tighten as she realised that there was no one in _her_ life who would care about her like Elsa cared for the Captain.

"Thank you," Elsa whispered as she walked passed Maria and gently squeezed the young woman's arm. Reaching the door, Elsa turned as she twisted the handle. "One more thing… Max and I will be leaving for Vienna in a couple of days' time. We have outstayed our welcome and I think that we are doing more harm than good by being here. I have some business to attend to and once it's done we'll come back in few weeks to see how things are."

Maria understood now why the Baroness had felt the need to tell her about the Captain and his circumstances but she still couldn't help feeling that a huge responsibility had been placed on her shoulders. She wasn't sure if there was anything that she could really do to help but if she could, even in some small way, then she would have fulfilled the job that the Reverend Mother had tasked her with.

Just before Elsa shut the door behind her, Maria called out, "Baroness? Just one more thing… about the whistles?"

Elsa Schrader laughed. "I'll let you find that out for yourself."

The door shut with a soft click and Maria flopped down on the foot of the bed. It had been an unusual day and somehow, she just knew that the surprises were far from over.

~X~

Max Detweiller sipped his drink whilst glancing at his friend who had settled himself in the armchair by the fire. There was something different about him this evening. It wasn't anything all that significant but his mood had shifted slightly.

"You seem in reasonable spirits this evening," Max observed, tentatively. He had come to know that his friend was on a very short fuse of late and the merest word out of turn could send him into an unpredictable rage.

"Must be the whiskey," Georg scoffed, all the while staring intently at the dancing flames.

This was how it had been with his friend for longer than Max cared to remember. Having any sort of conversation with him was like getting blood from a stone. He wasn't about to give up though.

"The children seemed to like the new Fraulein… what was her name again?" Max feigned ignorance to see just how much attention his friend had paid to the new Governess.

"Maria… Fraulein Maria," Georg replied, then took a large gulp of the golden liquid that cascaded from his glass.

"Ah, of course… I'm not sure how I could forget. She is quite a breath of fresh air… don't you think?" Max continued to probe.

Turning his glass back and forth so that what remained of the whiskey sloshed from one side to the other, Georg contemplated a refill but then thought better of it, remembering that he had to meet with the new Governess in a little over half an hour.

"I'm not sure those are the words that I'd use to describe her," Georg laughed.

"Really? How would you describe her then, because from what I saw you were certainly giving her the once over?" Max realised that he was probably overstepping the mark and would have to be careful as the conversation proceeded.

" _What_ is _that_ supposed to mean _?"_ Georg looked his friend directly in the eye.

"Well, just that you seemed to be taking quite an interest in the young girl," Max knew that he had to tread carefully.

"If you mean that I was trying to work out if she was a suitable person to look after my children, _particularly_ as she seems so young… then yes, I was _giving her the once over_ , as you so indelicately put it," Georg spat defiantly.

"Hmmm…"

"Oh for God's sake, what does, _hmmmm,_ mean?" Georg was becoming increasingly irritated by his friend's interrogation.

"Oh nothing" Max replied, nonchalantly. "Isn't she meeting you soon?"

"Yes, she is. So, drink up and disappear. I don't want you here, the mood you're in. You'll embarrass the girl half to death." Georg stood and walked over to Max, taking the now empty glass from his hand. "Haven't you got some poor choir to stalk or something."

"Yes, yes… I know when I'm not wanted. How does the saying go _… two's company, three's a crowd_?" Max stood quickly and scuttled out of the room before his friend could fire a reply at him.

Georg von Trapp sighed as he picked up both glasses and put them down on the silver tray. Although his friend had annoyed him with his line of questioning, it was only what he had already been mulling over in his mind himself.

He _had_ taken a greater interest in Fraulein Maria than he would normally do of his children's Governesses and it unsettled him. He had only been in her company for less than an hour but he found himself looking forward to their meeting as he wanted to know more about her.

Since his wife had died he'd hardly been interested in anything. The only thing that made him get out of bed every morning was his work but even that was becoming wearisome. So, to be interested in anything, let alone a member of the opposite sex was somewhat puzzling to him. Elsa of course had done her best to keep his spirits up but with every passing year he was beginning to detest the circles in which she forced him to gravitate. She had his best interests at heart, he knew that and in some ways, he would be even more lost than he already was, without her in his life.

But the feeling which now unsettled him so much wasn't new to him, he had felt it before but it wasn't something that he was comfortable to allow himself to feel.

He shook his head and took his place behind his desk and waited patiently for his new employee to join him.

~X~

The drapes across Maria's bedroom window suddenly billowed as the wind whipped against the side of the villa. She rushed over to push down the window and was startled when a crack of thunder echoed across the garden and the lake was lit up by a bright scorching light.

She hurried to the children's bedroom knowing that the youngest girls would likely be frightened by the thunder and lightning. As she made her way, she bumped into the two boys and the remaining girls who all followed her into Marta and Gretl's room.

"We just thought we would come and see if the girls were frightened," the two boys lied as they looked between each other nervously.

"Well, that's very nice of you… err, Friedrich and Kurt, isn't it?" The two boys nodded and piled onto the girl's bed.

Louisa and Brigitta followed then and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Now, where on earth is Liesl," Maria asked, looking to the children for an answer.

"Oh, she's probably been with that boy… Rolfe," Louisa stated bluntly and the other girls screwed up their noses as if Rolfe was the last boy you'd ever want to spend any time with. Just as they did so, Liesl rushed into her sister's bedroom. She was wearing her nightgown but her hair was sopping wet.

Maria raised an eyebrow towards the rather guilty looking girl, "We can have a chat tomorrow," she smiled and Liesl also sat on the bed with her siblings.

Their nerves were calmed once Maria taught them a song that she herself used to sing as a child. She could see though that they were being careful not to make too much noise.

"You have beautiful voices, but you were _so quiet_ ," Maria laughed. "There is nothing better to chase away fears than singing at the top of your voice."

"We don't want to annoy father," Gretl whispered, timidly.

"He doesn't like noise," Louisa added.

"And he really doesn't like singing," Liesl sighed.

"Oh, I see." Maria remembered what the Baroness had told her about how there was no longer any music in the house.

"Anyway," Maria looked at their sad faces and decided to try and lighten the mood. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to trick me yet. I was at least expecting a snake in my bed, or a toad in my dress pocket."

"Louisa _did_ get a toad from the lake, but I told her to put it back," Friedrich glared at his sister.

"We need you to stay you see. We're tired of being bad," Kurt explained.

"Oh, now, now, you're not bad and don't let anyone tell you so. You're children and you are allowed to be mischievous every now and again."

"Father thinks we're bad, that's why he is thinking of sending us away," Brigitta cried.

"No… NO! I'm sure he's not thinking anything of the sort," Maria tried to reassure the girls who had now started to cry.

"He is, we heard him talking to Baroness Schrader about us. Thankfully she convinced him to try one more Governess… that's you." Liesl stood now before Maria and pleaded, "Please don't let him send us away."

"He won't do that, he loves you too much to send you away," Maria sat on the bed and scooped little Marta into her arms to console her.

"Do you promise?" the little girl looked up with tear filled eyes.

"Yes, I do. We'll show your father just what good children you are and then you'll see how much he loves you." Maria tucked the girls into bed and then took the others one by one, whispering words of reassurance to them as she settled them in their beds.

She knew that the Captain was struggling with his own demons and didn't mean to hurt his children and she also knew that if he had any idea of how they were feeling he would do anything in his power to make them realise how much he loved them. It wasn't going to be easy, but Maria was determined that she would bring this family back together. She knew more than ever that her path in life was not to join the other sisters at Nonnberg Abbey, rather she wanted to experience life to the full and this was the first step on her journey.

Closing Liesl's door, Maria made her way down the winding stairs towards the Captain's study. The house was now silent apart from the ticking of a large Grandfather clock in the hallway. She remembered everything that Elsa had told her about the Captain and she tried to suppress the angry thoughts she had about how distraught he had made his children. This man was suffering too and if it was within her power she would help him also… that is if he actually wanted help.

Gathering her courage along with her shawl, she knocked on his study door and waited patiently for his reply.

~X~

 _ **Disclaimer & Rating as per first chapter. **_

_**I just wanted to say thank you again for the reviews which have definitely spurred me on to continue. I love how intrigued you all seem to be with where this story may be going. I would also like to thank Coolficbro as I can't send you a message. I'm not sure that I can do the subject of depression justice. It is such an important area and I would hate to offend anyone by handling it insensitively. I do however believe that the Captain has reached a point where his life lacks any real reason, motivation or purpose.**_

 _ **I hope you continue to enjoy the story even though we are at chapter 3 and the Captain and Maria still have not really met properly. Don't worry though, you'll read all about it in the next chapter.**_

 _ **Thank you again so much and please if you can… leave me a review**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was the lightest of taps, but it might as well have been a thunderbolt outside his study window, for the fear that it struck into his very soul.

He had been day dreaming, pondering about the young Fraulein, on the one hand looking forward to their meeting and on the other just wanting to shut himself away in his study, lock the door and throw away the key.

This was his life. Every day was a struggle for a whole host of reasons. Nothing piqued his interest anymore and the fact that he might just be curious about his new employee was very troubling to him.

Running his fingers through his hair he began to stand, but he found himself rooted to the spot and swiftly sat down again behind the comparative safety of his desk.

 _For God's sake, pull yourself together man_ , he scolded himself.

"Yes, come in," he finally answered after he heard a further, louder rap against the door.

Maria took a deep breath and turned the door handle.

She saw that the captain was sitting at his desk, just as he had been when she'd looked into the room earlier, during her guided tour. She walked into the centre of the room and stopped, not being exactly sure where she should sit.

"You're on time," the Captain uttered, for want of anything better to say.

"Yes, the children were quite tired and went to their rooms with very little persuasion." Maria decided it was better not to tell the Captain about the disturbing conversation that she had just had with his children.

"You must have the magic touch, Fraulein." The captain raised his eyebrows. "At least three of your predecessors had already resigned by this time on their first day."

"I really don't know why, Captain. You have wonderful children," Maria clasped her hands behind her back and shuffled on the spot rather awkwardly.

"Please… sit. Can I get you anything to drink?" he pointed to the chair opposite his desk.

"Oh no, no thank you. I'm afraid I'm not really used to drinking," Maria settled herself into the chair and placed her hands in her lap.

Georg cursed himself silently. Of course she didn't drink, she was a nun, or a least she nearly was. She would hardly be allowed to help herself to the sacramental wine at the Abbey.

"I'm sorry… so stupid of me," Georg mumbled and Maria could tell that he was annoyed with himself.

"If it's no trouble, I _would_ like a glass of water," Maria smiled to try and reassure him.

"Yes, it's no trouble at all," the captain practically leaped from his chair and poured her a small glass of water.

"Here you are," he reached out and handed Maria the glass and then took his place behind his desk once again, clasping his hands in front of him. He knew he was turning into a bumbling idiot and so it was time to get down to business the only way he knew how, by giving orders.

"Now, Fraulein, I don't know how much the Reverend Mother told you. You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses to look after my children since…" his voice trailed off, he couldn't bring himself to say the words that he had tried so hard to avoid.

"Yes, I knew that there had been quite a few," Maria smiled, understanding his difficulties.

"I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours. They could not maintain discipline you see, without which the house cannot be run."

"Oh well, of course it's important but…"

"You will drill them in their studies." The captain cut Maria off in mid-sentence. "I will not permit them to dream away their summer holidays. Each afternoon, they march, breathing deeply and after dinner, bedtime is to be strictly observed."

"Erm, excuse me, captain… but when do they _play_?" it was becoming apparent to Maria why the children felt so unloved. From what it would appear, their father had even less to do with them than she had first thought.

Ignoring her completely, the captain continued to bark out his orders.

"You will see to it that they conduct themselves with the utmost decorum. And with that in mind, I need to show you how to use _the Bosun's whistle_!" Georg von Trapp raised his eyebrow at Maria as he remembered their conversation over dinner.

Maria felt her cheeks begin to burn, not for the first time that day, as he reached into his jacket pocket and took out the whistle once again.

"Each of the children have their own signal." Georg held out the whistle across the desk. "They will help you learn them. It makes it easier to call them."

"I won't need to whistle for them, Reverend Captain… err, I mean, I'll use their names. Such lovely names."

"Fräulein, this is a large house. The grounds are extensive and I will not have anyone shouting. You will take this… please." He pushed it towards her. "Learn to use it."

"Now, when I want _you_ , this is what you will hear," the captain put the whistle to his mouth and blew it forcefully.

"Oh, no, sir. I'm sorry, sir! I could never answer to a whistle. They are for animals, not for children. And definitely not for me. It would be too humiliating."

She was certainly a conundrum and whilst he wanted to be annoyed with her, for some reason he found her forthrightness strangely appealing. Everyone normally tiptoed around him for fear of hurting his feelings or sending him into a rage. Max was right, she _was_ a breath of fresh air.

"Fräulein, were you this much trouble at the abbey?" Georg smirked.

"Oh, much more, sir."

"Yes, I can quite believe it."

After a short silence, Maria plucked up some courage. "I was wondering, Captain, if I could have some material to make some play clothes for the children. I would hate for them to ruin their beautiful clothes when we're outside."

"As well as poor time-keeping, you also seem to have a poor memory, Fraulein. I do believe I have just told you that I do not want the children wasting their summer holiday. There should be no reason why they would ruin their clothes if you adhere to their daily routine."

"Well yes, I heard what you said but surely they are allowed some free time once they have completed their studies. It's important that the children are allowed to play, Captain," Maria tried to persuade him as gently as she could.

He considered her words carefully, words which would, under normal circumstances have reduced him to nothing more than a raging beast. She was defying his wishes, or was she? Had his feelings of worthlessness got so bad that he wasn't even bothered about how his children were being brought up. Perhaps they had, since the option of boarding school had crossed his mind more than just fleetingly.

Georg von Trapp relaxed into his chair, crossed his legs and rested his hands in his lap. Maria, started to feel uncomfortable. She adjusted her position in her chair, as the captain continued to stare at her. She couldn't make out his expression. Although she was fully aware that her suggestion would go against everything that he believed in and yet it didn't seem as if she had angered him.

Georg was tired and he had very little fight left in him, he could see no future, and no answer for any of the problems that plagued him daily. He didn't want to get into a fight with this young woman and so he sighed, "You seem, in a very short space of time, to have been able to settle my children. They don't want a Governess, especially the older ones but I can't give them what they really want. So… as long as they continue to study and as long as they get regular exercise, then I am happy for them to have some _structured_ free time."

Maria beamed and clapped her hands together in excitement.

"However," the captain wagged his finger in the air and leaned forwards out of his chair, "…you must remember that my children are not like the local urchins. They are to remain disciplined _at all times_. You are in charge, Fraulein. _Please,_ do not disappoint me."

Whilst she didn't think that the Captain was threatening her, there was something in the tone of his voice and his demeanour that made her realise that he really wasn't to be trifled with.

"I will ask Frau Schmidt to arrange for some material to be delivered tomorrow. If you would like to use any of it for yourself, then please do," he smiled kindly, relaxing back once more into his chair.

The room was beginning to feel quite chilly and Maria pulled the shawl tighter over her shoulders., unable to stop an involuntary shiver.

"Why don't you sit by the fire, there's still some life in it, it's a shame not to take advantage of it," the captain suggested.

Maria nodded and walked over to the small settee by the fire. The captain joined her and sat in a larger armchair. He picked up the fire iron and nudged the glowing coals which crackled to life. Shadows danced across his face and Maria studied his features closely as he seemed mesmerised and lost in its warming glow. He was obviously a strong man and his face gave very little away but his eyes, they were different. There was a sadness that she couldn't ignore. He looked tired and worn and she doubted whether he had had a good night's sleep in a long time. She could see the reflection of the flames glistening in eyes.

"You have a lovely house," Maria spoke softly, still a little unnerved by the captain but trying hard to distract him from his painful thoughts.

"It serves its purpose." After a brief silence the captain shrugged. "We have a lot more than most people. We are grateful, or course."

"My room is delightful. Thank you, much nicer than I'm used to," Maria tried to continue the strained conversation.

The captain sat up and placed the fire iron back in the rack. "Do you mind me asking how long you've been at the Abbey?"

"Oh no, I don't mind. I've been there for a number of years. They are all very kind and really put up with quite a lot."

The captain grinned as he imagined just how much they probably did have to tolerate of her frankly quite quirky behaviour.

"But if you've been there for so long then why haven't you taken your vows?"

It was a question that Maria hadn't anticipated answering. In fact, she couldn't answer the question because she wasn't all that certain herself. She had always imagined that becoming a Nun would be a natural progression for her but just recently things hadn't felt right. She had been drawn to the mountains, to the outside world, more and more often. In fact, she was spending more time out of the Abbey than she was behind it's cloistered walls.

"Everyone is different and they take their vows when they know that they have found their true path. The Reverend Mother is keen that I take mine but…"

"But you're not sure?" the captain probed.

"I'm sorry, I don't really want to talk about it, do you mind?" Maria answered, sharply.

"No, of course, I'm sorry that was quite rude of me."

"There's nothing to apologise for, really," Maria rubbed her hands together as she made the most of the fires warmth. In order to break the uncomfortable silence and change the subject in the process, Maria decided to ask the captain a little about his friends. "Baroness Schrader is so lovely and Herr Detweiller is…"

"Annoying, irritating, self-absorbed?" Georg suggested as he raised an eyebrow.

Maria laughed and her shawl fell slightly from her shoulders. Her blue dress glimmered in the firelight and the captain found his eyes being drawn to the soft, pale skin of her neck. Laughter was something that the captain hadn't heard for some time. She seemed so carefree, so full of life. The complete opposite of how he felt.

For a moment as Maria looked up she caught the captain staring and she felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart thumped in her chest and all she could focus on were his eyes, Eyes that seemed to express so much about the heartache that continually dragged him down to the point of no return.

Struggling to break the connection that seemed to have formed between them, she glanced down towards her hands and then with some courage she found her voice.

"I… I think it's getting a little late. I think I better go and get some sleep so that I'm fresh for the morning. I have so much that I want to teach the children."

The intensity of the moment had not passed Georg by and he reluctantly nodded his head.

"Yes, and I need to finish off here before I can retire to bed," he smiled and stood, before returning to his desk. "I prefer not to be disturbed during the day… err, but if there is anything that you need Fraulein then Frau Schmidt will happily help you tomorrow."

With that, he picked up his pen and buried his head in the pile of documents which littered his desk. For a moment, Maria felt deflated that their conversation, such as it was, was over. She quietly wrapped her shawl around her once again and shut the study door behind her.

~X~

For the next couple of days Elsa observed the captain as _he_ watched Maria. Whilst nothing had changed significantly she could tell that a certain calmness had descended upon the villa. Maria had settled in well and the children appeared the most contented that they had been for a long time.

The captain however, was still a matter of concern to her. He had gone from barely being able to drag himself out of his study some days to having a seemingly abundant amount of nervous energy. He was taking quite an interest in Maria and her activities with the children. Never for one minute did Elsa believe that it would be the attraction of another woman that would be the thing that would help him drag himself out from the depths of his depression, but perhaps she was just reading more into the looks and glances than there actually was.

He was still reluctant to talk about his worries but she could tell that there was something troubling him. However, she was quite happy that Maria seemed to have matters under control and so, just after breakfast, about a week after Maria had arrived, she packed up her bags and shepherded Max to the car.

The captain had offered to drive them to the station. He was more than happy to, if truth be known. He needed some peace and quiet, something that was virtually impossible with Elsa and Max around. He knew that they would be away for a couple of weeks at the very least, enough time for him to finally relax without being under their continual scrutiny. Everywhere he went, Elsa was at his shoulder, watching him. He had caught her on more than one occasion hiding behind a pillar or behind a door. He was enjoying observing his children and their interactions with their new Governess. Whilst he would never intrude upon their time he watched them from a distance and was happy with their progress and the way that Fraulein Maria had settled into his family,

Maria had brought the children down to wave goodbye to the Baroness and Herr Detweiler. They stood in a tidy line at the front of the house. Max gave Maria a cheeky peck on the cheek which caused the captain to roll his eyes towards his friend. As Elsa walked towards the car she stopped to speak to Maria.

"Please look after him whilst I'm away, my dear," she squeezed Maria's arm lightly.

"I will, don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine." Maria smiled and placed her hand on top of the Baroness's.

"If there's anything you need, I'm only a telephone call away, just speak to Frau Schmidt and she'll put you in contact with me."

The captain picked up Elsa's bag and loaded it into the car before taking his seat. The children all waved as their father honked the car horn as it turned out of the gates.

Maria took a final glance and then ushered the children back into the house. There was much to be done and first on her list was to make seven sets of play clothes!

~X~

 _ **So, they've finally met properly! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you again for your reviews. Please leave a review if you can, it really does help to encourage me to continue,**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A young girls excited scream shattered the silence in the Captain's study. He rubbed his temples as the high-pitched squeal pierced the air and sent stabbing pains shooting across his forehead. Pushing the paper work to one side, Georg von Trapp stood and turned to the window behind his desk.

Beside the lake he saw his children and their governess. Louisa had found yet another frog and was chasing the younger girls around relentlessly. As he observed the scene that was unfolding before him, he noticed Maria gesture to Louisa. Firmly but kindly it appeared that she was asking his daughter to return the frog to the lake. Louisa did as she had been asked with no objection, something that would never have happened with any of the previous governesses. She then re-joined the young girls as they continued to chase each other around, laughing and giggling. At one time the noise would have irritated him beyond distraction but now… now he longed to be a part of their carefree exuberance.

His headache still lingering, he decided that some fresh air would be the best cure and so he locked away the papers that he had been working on and made his way out onto the terrace.

It was a beautiful day. Hardly a cloud could be seen in the crisp blue sky. Resting against the balustrade, Georg decided to watch from a distance. He was torn between wanting to join in and feeling incredibly wary of doing so.

Since Max and Elsa had left for Vienna a week earlier, he had suddenly felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. Under their scrutiny he had been compelled to be the jovial host, which he knew he very often failed at miserably. Now though, with only his children and his employees with him at the villa he had been able to relax. He had moped in his study when he felt the need but he was also finding an increasing desire to spend time with his family.

As he continued to observe the happy children, he noticed that Maria had ventured over to the old boat house with Liesl. It had become very overgrown with bushes and overhanging branches. Maria carefully managed to clear some of the thorny branches away from the window and she cupped her hand against the glass and peered inside. Almost instantly he heard her utter a small squeal of delight and she clapped her hands together excitedly.

Georg could feel his stomach begin to churn and his throat tighten as yet more of his past, a past that he had so far managed to successfully bury, was beginning to resurface.

" _Row faster, Father… Mother is beating us," Friedrich screamed as he and Kurt hung on for dear life._

" _I thought you were a highly regarded Naval Captain," Agathe shouted across, as she and the girls continued to edge ahead of her disgruntled husband._

" _In case you weren't aware of the workings of a submarine, perhaps I should explain, we don't actually use oars to propel us forwards," he shot back, sarcastically._

 _Agathe von Trapp threw her head back and laughed. Georg felt the breath catch in his throat as he watched the breeze off the lake rake through her hair making her look slightly wild, not her normal perfectly coiffured, aristocratic persona. She was breathtakingly beautiful and his whole world revolved around her and the children._

 _As they reached the edge of the lake the two rowing boats collided making both of them bob erratically in the water. Georg stretched across to steady the boats and as he did so, Agathe reached over and placed a firm kiss on her husband's lips. The younger children giggled and whispered to one another._

" _Let's put these boats away," Georg whispered breathlessly. "Then the children need to continue with their studies which should give us some time to…" He leant forward and whispered in his wife's ear._

 _The colour rose in Agathe's cheeks as she stared into her husband's intense blue eyes._

" _Then what are we waiting for," she smiled and hopped out of the boat pulling it along with the children still on board._

The memories were still so sharp and clear, he needed to escape back to the safety of his study but just as he turned to do so, he heard his eldest daughter shout over to him.

"Father, Father. Why don't you join us for a little while? It's a lovely afternoon."

Breathing deeply, he turned and smiled… there was the façade again, the one that he had spent years, successfully perfecting.

"Well…" he nodded. "I suppose I could join you for a few minutes."

Maria began to feel a little uneasy. She knew that the Captain didn't like anyone meddling in his business or looking in places that held special memories for him. Surely though she was safe looking in the boathouse?

As he approached them, Maria took hold of Liesl's hand, perhaps hoping that being in the company of his eldest daughter would prevent him from unleashing his wrath upon them.

His face was unreadable as he approached them. He didn't appear angry but the melancholy air that seemed to constantly surround him was still ever present. Maria needn't have worried, however, as he merely gave his daughter a peck on the cheek and then proceeded to join the boys by the lake.

Maria and Liesl looked at each other as he sat down beside his two sons who were unsuccessfully trying to untangle a fishing line.

"I'm not sure I'll ever understand your father," Maria whispered, as Liesl led her Governess by the hand to the shade of a nearby tree, where they sat and rested their backs against it's trunk.

"He's a good man," Liesl replied after a short pause.

"Yes…. I believe he is. I just wish he didn't shut himself away all the time."

"Well… since _you_ arrived, we've seen more of him than we have done in many months. I think you're a good influence on him," Liesl smiled as she plucked at the flowers that blossomed at the base of the tree. "He needs someone to stand up to him. He's been too used to bossing people around, even us sometimes," the young girl continued, sadly.

"I'm sure your father loves you dearly and would never do anything to hurt any of you," Maria took hold of Liesl's hand and squeezed it gently.

"You know, just after our Mother died I used to lay awake at night, wishing that there really were Fairy Godmothers, so that I could be granted a wish, I only wanted one," Liesl sighed. "I would have asked that Mother never died, that she never got ill."

Maria pulled Liesl towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she could feel the young girl begin to sob quietly.

"And now… if you could have one wish, what would it be?" Maria coaxed, gently.

When Liesl's shoulder had stopped shuddering and she wiped the tears from her eyes, she looked at Maria.

"All I would ask, is to see father smile again… for him to be happy."

As the words tumbled from Liesl's mouth, Maria could feel a lump form in her throat and the tell-tale sting of tears in her eyes.

"Well, we shall have to see what we can do about that then won't we," Maria smiled as she picked up a nearby branch and waved it in the air like a magic wand.

Both Liesl and Maria began to laugh which drew the attention of the Captain who had just managed to straighten out the fishing line. Patting his youngest son on the head, Georg von Trapp eased himself off the grass and brushed down his trousers.

Maria and Liesl were still in deep conversation as he reached them and crouched down on his haunches in front of them.

"Well, well, what are you two plotting," he smiled warmly and stroked the side of his daughter's cheek with his forefinger.

"You see, it worked," Maria laughed again, causing the Captain to frown in bemusement.

"Perhaps you _are_ my Fairy Godmother," Liesl smiled and reached out for her father's hand. He took it and standing, he helped Liesl to her feet.

"I must go and carry on with my work," the Captain stated, bluntly.

Sensing that his mood had lifted, Maria thought it a good opportunity to talk to him about what she had discovered in the boatshed. He hadn't seemed at all bothered by her inquisitiveness and so she felt that the time was right to strike while the iron was hot.

"Err, Captain," she called out as he had just turned to walk back to the house.

"Yes, Fraulein," he answered, spinning back to face Maria.

"Could I possibly have a few minutes of your time to talk to you about an idea that I've had?"

"I really must get back to my work, but if it's important then I can find some time after dinner. Why don't you join me after the children have settled, Fraulein? I'm sure I can find a nice glass of water for you," he smirked and then turned without waiting for Maria's reply.

Maria felt a strange fluttering sensation in her stomach as she watched him stride back to the house. She couldn't explain the unusual mixture of excitement and trepidation that she felt at the thought of visiting him in his study again and her cheeks began to burn furiously.

"Fraulein Maria," Liesl shook Maria's arm gently. "Are you quite alright? You don't look very well."

"I… I think perhaps we should go inside, it's getting very warm out here and I think we all need some cool lemonade," Maria stuttered as she realised that even Liesl had noticed her discomfort.

xXx

The Grandfather clock in the hall had just struck eight and Georg knew that Maria would now be busy settling his children. The younger ones would be being tucked into bed, whilst the older ones would be allowed a little extra time to read before they settled themselves down.

Bed times were a far easier affair these days. Since Maria's suggestion that the children be allowed some free time after their studies, they were all well and truly ready for bed after spending most afternoons in the fresh air tiring themselves out and having a magnificent time in the process.

Many things were better since the young Fraulein had arrived, including his own well-being. It had been days since he yearned to shut himself away from the world, in fact, he even found himself waking feeling refreshed and ready to face the day, something that hadn't happened in months, possibly years.

The reason for his new-found energy and positivity was still somewhat a mystery to him but he knew without doubt that Fraulein Maria was at least partly to thank for it.

Sitting in the large leather chair, he leant forward and laced his fingers together as he rested his forearms on his desk. Twiddling his thumbs, he began to feel unsettled and leant back in his chair, crossing his legs. Almost instantly, the nervous urge to move again was unbearable and so he stood and began pacing the floor before deciding to settle in the chair by the fireplace.

If he had glanced at his watch once, he had glanced at it a dozen times in the last ten minutes. The unsettling feeling that it was the anticipation of seeing his Governess again, didn't rest easily with him. He hadn't felt like this since he had been courting Agathe and he knew exactly what the feelings meant.

There were so many reasons why he could not allow himself to fall for Maria The main one of course, being the fact that she was a postulant. The scandal that any relationship with an employee would cause would be one hundred-fold if he was caught fraternising with a nun. He could just picture Max's face and the image actually made him chuckle to himself.

However, there was absolutely no harm in developing a friendship with the young woman, particularly when she had the instant effect of making him feel good about himself.

All his time had been taken up worrying about seeing Maria, so much so, that he had totally forgotten that there was a reason for her visit. He usually had reservations about her plans, however, so far, they had all worked out for the best.

Just as he had been about to move yet again, he heard the distinctive sound of Maria's humming as she approached his study door. Everywhere the young woman went she would hum. Smiling, Georg rose and headed toward the door, opening it before Maria could even knock.

Maria took a step back in astonishment. "Oh, Captain…" she gasped, her hand flying up to her chest.

"I'm sorry, Fraulein… I didn't mean to scare you," the Captain chuckled to himself. "Please…" he gestured for Maria to enter the room and shut the door as she did so.

Nodding towards the sofa, Georg followed Maria and sat down in the armchair.

"The children were so pleased that you joined them this afternoon. It always makes their day when you spend time with them," Maria smiled as she attempted to break the ice.

"I enjoyed it. I spend far too much time cooped up in here as Elsa _constantly_ reminds me," Georg grinned.

"Have you heard from the Baroness?" Maria enquired.

" _Ohhhh_ yes, several times since they left for Vienna. Sometimes I feel like a young boy again, having to be checked up on every five minutes."

"She's just concerned about you. You're very lucky that you have someone who cares so much about you," Maria commented, although judging by the Captain's face, she wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut.

"Yes, I'm _well aware_ of how _lucky_ I am," he bristled but instantly regretted his remark. "I'm sorry, I really am very grateful to Elsa… and to Max, it's only that sometimes… I just need some space."

"Yes, of course, I understand." And somehow, Georg knew that Maria did understand him. It was all the more reason for him to feel drawn towards the young woman.

"So… you wanted to speak to me."

"Oh, yes… well, the thing is…" Maria wasn't quite sure how he would take what she was about to ask him. "When we were out in the garden this afternoon, I noticed that you have some rowing boats."

The Captain just continued to look at her without commenting.

"Err… " Maria fidgeted in her chair, "so I wondered if… perhaps you might let me… take the children out on the lake," she asked tentatively.

After a brief pause, the Captain stood and began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"Somehow, I knew that you wouldn't be able to overlook the rowing boats," he sighed, as he finally sat down once again.

Cocking her head to one side, Maria studied the Captain's face thoughtfully. He was much calmer than he had once been and yet she could see that he was in pain.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it, it's just that I know how much the children would enjoy it."

"Oh yes, they do enjoy it, although it's several years since they were on the lake." He sat back and began to relax into the armchair. "Please, don't ever apologise, Fraulein. However much I may appear to dislike your ideas, you must continue to challenge me. I can see how much good you're doing for my children and I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart."

The Captain held Maria's gaze until she reluctantly looked down into her lap, the intensity of his stare becoming too much for her.

"Did I make you feel uncomfortable, Fraulein. I'm truly sorry if I did but the truth is that if you hadn't come to us from the Abbey, I dread to think what may have become of us," he leaned forward and took Maria's hands between his own.

Continuing to look down, Maria felt her heart begin to quicken as his thumbs rubbed delicate circles across the back of her hands.

"I've been here such a very short time, I don't think that I've done all that much," Maria whispered.

"Don't underestimate yourself. You have swept into our lives and blown away the cobwebs. I had been stuck in a place that I didn't think I could escape from, but with your help, I feel as if I just might be able to."

"Oh, you can Captain," Maria now took the Captain's hands in hers, much to his surprise. "You really can and the children will help you."

"And you… will you help me, Fraulein?" Georg shuffled to the edge of his chair so that he was just inches away from Maria.

"I'd be happy to. If there's anything I can do to help," Maria answered, softly.

Looking down at his hands that were still encased inside Maria's gentle touch, he took a deep breath and then raised his head, smiling warmly into Maria's soft blue eyes.

"You have already, more than you know."

xXx

 _ **Well, I know that this is moving slowly but it is at least moving in the right direction… for now!**_

 _ **Sorry it has taken so long to update but I had been struggling with how to proceed, even though I know where I want to take this. I wasn't all that certain whether people were enjoying it either.**_

 _ **Hopefully, the next chapter should be a little more exciting!**_

 _ **If you can, please do leave a review, it makes all the difference and I really do appreciate it.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Having gained the Captain's approval for her latest adventure with the children, all Maria needed, was fine weather. However, much to her annoyance, all that followed for the next few days were stormy skies and heavy rain.

The children were restless and noisy which in turn led to an extremely disgruntled Captain von Trapp. There were moments of blessed relief when the children were engaged in somewhat quieter activities. However, overall, everyone's nerves were beginning to fray.

Maria was still encouraged by the conversation that she had with the Captain several nights previously and indeed, relations between him and his children did continue to improve. After dinner, instead of immediately retiring to his study, he would join his children in the family room where he was happy to play a board game or just talk about what they had all done during the day.

Most of the time Maria just looked on, happy to see the progress that was being made on both sides. Every now and then the Captain would look over and catch Maria's eye. He seemed to be looking for encouragement and approval and every time, Maria found herself falling that little bit further under his spell.

Maria yearned to teach the children some of the songs that she had annoyed Sister Berthe with at the Abbey. She knew that Liesl could play the guitar and she hoped, in time, that she might be able to teach some of the others. She had never found the courage to ask the Captain for his permission, so instead, when she knew that he was engaged in his study or even out of the house, she would gather the children together and they learned some of their Governess's favourite songs. The children all had beautiful voices and she often found herself wondering what it must have been like when their mother had been alive. They all told her excitedly how the whole family would sing together, even their father.

There were occasions when she would find herself alone with the Captain and she very nearly asked him if he would like to hear them sing but then she would catch a glimpse of the pain that was still betrayed in his tired eyes and she would remember what the Baroness had told her.

Four weeks had passed since Max and the Baroness had left for Vienna. As Maria; predictably late, entered the breakfast room one morning, she came across Franz delivering a telegram to the Captain.

Taking her seat, she looked inquisitively across as he tore open the piece of paper. After reading its message he tucked it silently under the side of his plate and continued with his breakfast. The children chattered amongst themselves as they often did and Maria kept glancing up at the Captain who appeared decidedly distracted since he had received his mail.

Suddenly, without warning, he put his cutlery down on his unfinished plate and stood.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well. Would you please excuse me?" he asked and after pushing his chair under the table he left the room before Maria could even utter a word.

The children merely returned to their conversations but Maria was curious and a little concerned by the Captain's sudden change in mood.

Breakfast being over, Maria escorted the children to their study rooms where she set their individual tasks for the morning. Each and every child settled quickly into their work and Maria stood back admiring how grown up they seemed to be becoming. After asking Liesl to make sure that they continued to concentrate, she left the children's room and headed down to seek out the Captain.

There was only one place he would be. Maria had come to realise that his study was his bolt hole, his place of sanctuary and security. The door was ajar and pushing it gently, it creaked open. She peered into the dimly lit room. Seeing that the room was empty, she walked in and noticed that the doors leading to the terrace were wide open.

Blinking as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the morning, Maria stepped out and quietly approached the Captain who was leaning heavily against the balustrade. As he became aware of her presence he straightened and rested his hands against the cold stone.

"Do you see the swifts?" the Captain suddenly asked without turning, as he pointed high above the lake to a group of birds that were darting and swooping in the air. Maria looked up and followed the direction in which his finger pointed.

"They were Agathe's favourite bird. She was always in such awe of them. The way they live their lives, seldom leaving the air. Such freedom and such stamina."

"They're beautiful," Maria answered, gently, standing close to him and bending forward slightly so that she could see his face.

"Is everything alright, Captain? You said that you were feeling unwell."

Georg von Trapp turned and smiled at Maria while resting his back on the stone railing.

"Yes, Fraulein, I'm not unwell, at least not in that way. I began to feel a little… claustrophobic perhaps and needed some fresh air."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know the children were noisy at breakfast. I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again," Maria apologised, believing that it was the children that had made the Captain feel uneasy.

"It didn't have anything to do with the children. In fact, I relish seeing how excited they are every morning. They have such a thirst for life and they look forward to every little part of their day… that's down to you," he nodded and smiled warmly.

"Oh…" Maria whispered and after pondering a moment, she continued. "It must be me then. I know that I don't always act in the way that I should. I'm sorry if I've done something to…"

"No, no, no," Georg turned and put his hand over Maria's. "It isn't you _or_ the children. God help me, if it wasn't for you…" he stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "Max and Elsa are returning tomorrow."

"Oh, I see," Maria replied, somewhat downheartedly.

"The very thought of it makes me anxious. It was as if someone was crushing my chest and I felt as if the walls were closing in on me. I don't want to be pitied any longer and I don't want to feel as if I'm being scrutinised every minute of the day."

"They don't pity you, they _care_ about you," Maria corrected him as gently as she could.

"Yes…" he slumped forward on the balustrade again, sighing deeply. "I know… but I've enjoyed the last few weeks, with just the children and… and _you_."

Georg glanced up at Maria with a cautious look on his face, as if he was divulging just a little bit too much about his feelings and trying to gauge her reaction.

He held her gaze as Maria absorbed his words. She'd enjoyed it too and it was more than just seeing his relationship with his children grow and blossom. She had looked forward to all of their chats, no matter how brief and she had found herself eagerly awaiting every meal for the chance to exchange smiles and glances.

Out of nowhere they had become friends, but as she stood beside him, looking into his deeply expressive eyes she felt as if there could be more. She _knew_ there could me more. It had crept up on her over the last few weeks but she couldn't deny it. She had feelings for him and if she wasn't mistaken, he also had feelings for her.

The Captain looked down again at his feet, as he shuffled awkwardly on the moment had gone and Maria couldn't bear the awkward silence.

"Are you going to collect them tomorrow?" she enquired, an idea suddenly bursting into her overactive mind.

"Yes, they will be on the afternoon train from Vienna. We should be back here by three at the latest," he answered.

"Then I shall make sure that the children are ready to greet the Baroness. They'll be very pleased to see her and Herr Detweiller again."

"Yes, I'm sure _they_ will be," the Captain said sarcastically and grinned at Maria.

xXx

Maria had a plan but making sure that the children didn't divulge any of it to their father over breakfast the following morning, was no mean feat.

Whilst she hadn't had very many opportunities to practice singing with the children, she had managed to teach them one song that a few of them already seemed to know and she hoped that it would prove to be a lovely way of welcoming the Baroness back to the villa.

It was a gamble, she knew. However, she hoped that with the trust that had built up between herself and the Captain, he would realise that there was little harm in allowing music back into the house and that it might, in the process, serve to further heal his grieving heart.

The Captain had excused himself swiftly from breakfast as he had some meetings to attend in Salzburg before he collected his friends from the station. Having the majority of the day to themselves and as the weather was so pleasant, Maria decided that today was the day that they would venture onto the Lake in the rowing boats.

Getting the boats out of the boat house proved more difficult than she imagined and it quickly became apparent that only one of the boats would actually be watertight. She wasn't going to let that stop them. After making sure that all of the children were safely on board, she pushed the boat away from the edge using one of the oars. The boat rocked precariously and the children screamed in a mixture of fear and excitement.

It didn't take long for Maria to find a steady rhythm with the oars and before they knew it they had already reached the far side of the lake where they all carefully got off the boat and tied it up securely.

The afternoon passed leisurely as the younger children played amongst the mountain flowers and the older ones spent their time talking to Maria and then venturing a little further away into the fields beyond the lake.

When she was alone with her thoughts, Maria's mind kept wandering and filling with images of the Captain. She found herself wondering where he was and what he might be doing whilst she wished that he was there with them, enjoying the tranquillity of the location.

Soon enough, Maria heard the Abbey bells and she realised that they had been out far longer than she had intended. She desperately wanted to be at the villa when the Captain and his friends returned home. She felt sure that when he heard his children sing it would be a turning point for him in his healing.

They tumbled into the boat and headed back to the villa. The children sang as Maria rowed and in no time, they found themselves approaching the back of the house.

xXx

His day had dragged and as Georg von Trapp sat, (not so) patiently waiting for the train to pull in he imagined what his children and their Governess might be doing. Something far more interesting than him, he mused. The meetings had gone smoothly and he even found time to pay a visit to his tailor to order some new suits, something that he hadn't done for a long time, not having been interested in his appearance for as long as he could remember. Whilst he was always smart, he had made do with suits that if he were being honest had really seen better days. Finally, after ordering two new jackets, he had made his way to the station, where he now sat on the platform, twiddling his thumbs.

Only thirty minutes late, the train rolled to a screeching halt in the station and Georg immediately started pacing the platform until he spotted Max step down from the 1st class carriage. Max turned and then held out his hand to help Elsa down the few steps to solid ground.

"Georg, darling," Elsa leaned in and gave Georg a peck on the cheek. "You look so well," she remarked, in a rather surprised tone.

"Well, believe it or not, I _can_ actually look after myself," Georg replied, tersely as he reached out to shake his old friends hand.

"So, old chap. What have you been up to in our absence?" Max smiled, as Georg picked up Elsa's bags and carried them to his car.

"Not a great deal. I've managed to finish up a few projects and generally get on top of things." Georg stuffed the bags into the boot and forced it shut before taking his place in the driver's seat. "Fraulein Maria and the children are very much looking forward to seeing you both."

"And you, Georg. Are you glad to see us?" Elsa cocked her head to one side as she observed the wistful look that drifted across his face.

"Of course, Elsa. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I just thought perhaps you had got used to being on your own again. You know it doesn't do you any good when you have too much time on your hands."

"Elsa!" Georg warned, sternly.

"What?... You know how you get," Elsa pouted.

"You may have forgotten, but with Fraulein Maria in the house, I haven't _been_ on my own," a lopsided grin drifted across his lips.

Elsa raised an eyebrow as she looked at him without saying another word and they travelled the rest of the journey in a pensive silence.

xXx

Reaching the villa, the car trundled up to the doorway. Max and Elsa thankfully extricated themselves from the cramped car. Franz appeared and began carrying the bags into the house. Georg strode from room to room trying to locate Maria and the children but when they were nowhere to be seen he decided that they must still be in the garden. Elsa and Max followed him out onto the terrace where Frau Schmidt had taken the liberty to set out some refreshments for the weary travellers.

"I have no idea where they can be," perplexed, Georg paced the terrace. "Fraulein Maria _promised_ that they would be here to welcome you back."

"Not to worry," Max grinned. "It just gives us more time to enjoy this marvellous feast that your wonderful housekeeper has provided for us." Max rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he eyed the various sweet treats on offer.

In the distance, the sound of children's singing could be heard. Georg immediately stood and leant against the stone balustrade.

"I think it's coming from the lake."

Both he and Elsa left Max tucking into a large slice of apple strudel and made their way to the heavy iron gates by the landing.

Georg von Trapp stood with his hands on his hips as the rowing boat full of his children came bobbing into view. As soon as the children saw him they all began to laugh and shout. One by one they started to stand as their excitement was uncontainable. Maria panicked when the boat swayed precariously from side to side. She stood and gestured to the Captain who could see the fear etched across her face.

As if in slow motion, the boat tipped forward and the children all tumbled out with a huge splash. Maria on the other hand fell backwards and was unable to get to the children. The Captain's youngest daughter, Gretl flung her arms in the air as she struggled to remain afloat. Elsa who had been standing behind the Captain, suddenly gasped as the young girl resurfaced, coughing and spluttering.

Frantically, Georg threw off his jacket and shoes. He flung the heavy metal gates open with a loud clank and without a second thought, he dived into the cold water of the lake. He quickly located his young daughter and pulled her to the surface. She was still coughing as he dragged her up onto the stone slabs of the landing. The rest of the children had made it safely out of the lake as Maria dragged the boat wearily behind her. She too pulled herself out and stood dripping wet beside the other children.

The Captain held his daughter tightly as she shivered in his arms. He stroked her back to sooth her and when she had finally stopped sobbing he placed her gently into Elsa's outstretched arms.

"Let me take her inside," Elsa whispered softly to the somewhat shell-shocked Captain.

"Yes, thank you," he replied distractedly. "Children, you will go inside too and dry off please."

Maria started to squelch her way across the landing along with the children.

"Fraulein, you will stay _here_ please," he barked in Maria's direction.

Elsa looked back, concerned by his tone but she decided that the wellbeing of the young child nestled in her arms, was her greatest priority.

Maria stopped dead and she could feel herself begin to tremble as she turned and saw him standing just in front of her. He was dripping wet from head to foot and his sodden shirt clung tightly to his heaving chest.

"Captain… I'm so sorry," she pleaded, as his face looked like thunder.

"What on _earth_ were you thinking. That boat wasn't made to fit eight people. How could you _possibly_ think it would be safe? I should _never_ have agreed to such a stupid idea…" he began to pace up and down in front of her.

Maria stood, frozen to the spot, not knowing exactly what to say that would make the situation any better. Suddenly, he turned and charged towards her.

"For God's sake, Gretl nearly drowned… if anything had happened to her…"

Seeing him shaking in front of her, Maria instinctively reached out to him.

" _Don't touch me_ ," he snarled as he snatched his arm violently away from her.

"I was only trying to help," she whispered, her voice breaking with hurt. Without thinking through her next remarks, she blurted out the first thing that came into her head. "I understand how you must feel but it was just an unfortunate accident. You cannot wrap them up in cotton wool and not allow them a little adventure."

The Captain turned to her, his nostrils flaring with rage. "I _do not_ want to hear anymore from you," he shouted.

Maria could stand it no longer. She felt the rage build in her chest. He was totally over reacting in her view.

"I know you don't, but you've got to!" she screamed. "You are only just building a relationship with your children after God knows how long, please don't throw that all away."

"I don't care to hear more." He turned his back and walked away from her.

"I am not finished yet, captain!"

"Oh, _yes_ , you are, Fraulein!" He turned and grabbed her upper arms in a vice like grip. "Haven't you done quite enough, already," he spat in fury.

Maria whimpered as his fingers dug painfully into her tender flesh. Georg could see how terrified she was but he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. They were so close that their ragged breaths mingled as one. Mixed emotions surged through their bodies. Tears started to well in Maria's eyes and it wasn't until a lone drop trickled down her cheek that he suddenly realised that he was actually hurting her. He took a step back and released her arms.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly, having calmed his temper. "But I cannot allow my children to be put in danger. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt them but…"

"Oh, Captain, I wouldn't… _ever_. If I'd known that anything like this would happen…"

"Never the less…" he cut her off abruptly. "it is clear to me that the only way that I can ensure their safety is to look after them myself. So… you will pack your things this minute, and return to the Abbey."

Maria was in shock. He was going to ignore everything she had said about letting them live their lives. He of all people should know what it was like to be cossetted, after so many years of feeling smothered by his friends.

It didn't take a genius to realise that the Captain was furious. He was angry and hurt but most of all he was frightened. If anything happened to his children it would likely be the end of him, however, it had been a terrible, unfortunate accident. Maria would have done anything to be able to turn back the clock and reconsider her fateful decision. She thought that she and the Captain had reached a point in their relationship where he trusted her judgments. Her head cocked to the side as she observed the broken man that stood before her. A man that she thought she could have feelings for and that in turn had feelings for her. She was clearly wrong.

Music began drifting languidly on the air. The captain suddenly turned his head towards the source of the beautiful melody.

"What's that?" Georg von Trapp asked distractedly.

"It's singing," Maria replied, sadly.

"Yes, I _realize_ it's singing. But _who_ is singing?" his patience was quickly disappearing.

"The children."

"The children?"

"I taught them something to sing for the baroness." Maria sighed, as the Captain followed the angelic sound into his house.

xXx

 _ **I'm so sorry that it has taken so long to update. I do hope that some of you will forgive me and stick with it? Thanks again for all the reviews, they are very much appreciated.**_


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